Mated Read online

  Mated

  The Wolf Pack

  Book One

  by Avery Gale

  © Copyright October 2013 JK Publishing, Inc.

  ISBN#9781301326693

  All cover art and logo © Copyright October 2013 by JK Publishing, Inc.

  All rights reserved.

  Edited by Caroline Kirby

  Artwork by JK Publishing, Inc.

  Published by JK Publishing, Inc.

  Smashwords Edition, License Notes

  This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com, and purchase your own copy.

  Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, organizations, events or locales are entirely coincidental.

  No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author and publishing company.

  Piracy

  Please always be aware of where you are purchasing your electronic books and from whom. Only purchase from reputable, licensed individuals such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes, etc. If ever in doubt, let the author know of a suspected site illegally selling their works—remember to include a link to the site where you have found a book you suspect of being pirated. It only takes a moment of your time, but you will forever have the gratitude of an author.

  About the eBook Purchased

  Your purchase of this eBook allows you to only ONE LEGAL copy for your own personal reading on your own personal computer or device. You do not have resale or distribution rights without the prior written permission of both the publisher and the copyright owner of this eBook. This eBook cannot be copied in any format, sold, or otherwise transferred from your computer to another through upload to a file sharing peer-to-peer program, free or for a fee, or as a prize in any contest. Such action is illegal and in violation of the U.S. Copyright Law. Distribution of this eBook, in whole or in part, online, offline, in print or in any way or any other method currently known or yet to be invented, is forbidden. If you do not want this eBook anymore, you must delete it from your computer.

  WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

  If you find any e-books being sold or shared illegally, please contact the author or the publishing company.

  Email: [email protected]

  JK Publishing bookstore: www.shop.jkpublishingbooks.com

  Dedication

  Special thanks to my cousin, David, for all his help creating the Wolf Pack’s crest. I am sure there is a special place in Heaven for people with your unassuming patience.

  Table of Contents

  Dedication

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Epilogue

  Books by Avery Gale

  Excerpt from Weekend Surrender

  Rane’s Giant

  Excerpt from Rush Against Time

  Chapter One

  “I can scarcely believe I’ve let you talk me into this. You must have caught me in a very weak moment is all I can fathom.” Kathleen Harris was already tired of standing on the ice coated sidewalk in four inch stiletto black leather boots that had obviously been designed by a sadist living in a balmy climate wearing flip-flops. She and Libby really hadn’t been waiting that long, but damn she hated the cold. It came as no surprise to her that people flocked to the Caribbean during their winter breaks.

  “Jesus, Kit, you really need to start reading something written after the 1800s. You talk like you fell down a fucking rabbit hole into Shakespeare’s living room.” Libby Wells had been Kit’s best friend since she’d moved to New York City twelve years ago. She was five feet nothing, but had an attitude the size of Goliath and a brilliant mind to match.

  “Your lack of literary intelligence is showing, dear…wrong century by one…or two, but who’s counting?” Truthfully Kit altered her speech pattern for no other reason than her own amusement most of the time. What her distracted friend didn’t know was that Kit had been studying literature for nearly a century. As one of the few female werewolves in the world, she’d be almost one hundred and fifteen years old this spring. Of course in her case, age truly was just a number. As a were and a witch, her life expectancy was probably close to a millennium. And even though she hadn’t ever actually changed, that was one benefit she would still get. Kit smiled to herself because considering her age and the fact her grandparents had known Shakespeare personally, Abby’s comment probably wasn’t too far off the mark.

  God, she loved her ‘grands’ with everything in her and her memories of the time she spent with them always made her smile. But recently, just thinking about her parents was enough to give her indigestion. Even though they’d been nagging her for years to find her mate or mates and settle down, they’d really stepped it up the past year or two. Their relentless pressure was wearing thin...very, very thin. Hellfire, just the idea of settling down was enough to make her shudder.

  Sighing to herself, she knew it wouldn’t be long before she was going to be forced to move again, so hopefully she’d be out from under their watchful eyes soon enough. Her friends were already starting to comment on the fact she didn’t seem to be aging, and those observations were always a sign it was getting close to time to move on. Now that I think about it…it’s actually a hell of a compliment. Considering I’m over a century, I’m doing okay. She almost laughed out loud at her own joke. Her parents liked to remind her of her “advanced” age and her “fast approaching spinster-hood.” Damn, if Libby thought Kit’s language was archaic, she should meet “the parents.”

  If it wasn’t for all the time her parents spent traveling, Kit probably would have already moved. But she really did love New York City and wasn’t looking forward to having to relocate again. However, it had been a couple decades since she’d lived in New Mexico, and it was a lot warmer there…so maybe…

  By the time the slow moving line brought them to the door, Kit had already started mentally organizing how she’d pack up her meager belongings. She’d discovered many, many years ago that keeping too many keepsakes was overly burdensome and owning valuable antiques tended to attract far too much attention as well. Besides, she’d have plenty of time for that when her parents passed on that monstrosity they called a summer castle. Christ, who the hell has a fucking castle for a summer cabin? And they wonder why I don’t bring my friends to visit.

  As soon as she stepped through the door of the club, Kit was nearly overwhelmed by the pounding music. As a were, her senses were enhanced and she couldn’t imagin
e how music this loud would affect her if she ever changed. Loud music was always nearly enough to make her dizzy until she became accustomed to it. And the wall of scent she’d walked into was almost as powerful, What is it with humans’ obsession with masking their personal scents with crazy florals and musks? Jesus, most of them smell like they rolled in a flowerbed and then dipped themselves in… Her musings were interrupted when she was hit with a scent so powerful her knees almost buckled. Fuck, my mate. I have to get out of here before he scents me!

  Kit turned around, intent on finding Libby so she could make a quick excuse and get the frack out of the line of fire. But instead, she found herself face to chest with the owner of that intoxicating scent. Damn, not fast enough, Kit. Make and excuse…think, damn it! Anything…just make an excuse and leave…Now!

  Jameson Wolf had been almost ready to head home when he’d taken one last look out of the front windows of his office. Looking down over the sidewalk below, he wondered why the waiting line was so long on a frigid Friday night. He’d started to turn back to the room when his eye caught on a flash of red. Damn it to hell, he’d always had a thing for auburn haired women. Redheads were rare among shifters so he took a closer look. Her long flowing mane of red curls might have been what caught his attention, but there was something about her saucy attitude that drew him in. Watching her, he saw her easy rapport with the tiny blonde beauty she was with and he liked that she seemed oblivious to the fact she turned the head of every man near her.

  Making his way down the steep circular staircase he was assailed by the overpowering scents of both humans and his peers who had braved the biting cold January night in the wind swept city. He saw the red-haired beauty enter through the heavy doorway a split second before the scent of his mate barreled over him. It was as if every neuron in his brain had been suddenly struck by lightning and crackled with electrical energy. His vision tunneled and his sole mission became to find the owner of the scent and mark her as his.

  As he neared the red-haired beauty who had caught his eye earlier, the exotic fragrance he’d been following became more and more potent. Could I actually be that lucky after all these years? Stepping up behind her, he took a deep breath letting her scent soak deeply into his soul. Even though he loved the fresh citrus smell of her hair, it was the essence of her, which was nearly overpowering in its allure. It pulled him in and made every one of his senses come sharply into a pinpoint focus. He’d heard his friends describe this moment, but he had truly believed their words had been little more than romantic folly—until now.

  When she turned toward him, he became instantly aware she’d been planning to escape. There was a look of panic in her eyes—what he didn’t understand was what had spooked her. Awareness and anxiety were coming off her in heavy, crashing waves. He could smell fear in humans and shifters, but that wasn’t what he was picking up. No, she wasn’t afraid of him, but she wasn’t thrilled to have been found either. Interesting. Mating scents are an almost overwhelmingly powerful draw for both male and female shifters so there was no doubt she had known her mate was near. So why was she trying to leave?

  Both Jameson and his brother, Trevlon, were the Alphas of their pack and had been since their fathers were killed by rivals seven years ago. They had always known they’d follow pack tradition and share a mate, but they hadn’t had any luck finding her, despite having traveled all over the globe searching. How has this beauty flown under our radar? She is exactly the type of woman we are both attracted to. “What is your name, beautiful?” Jameson knew his words had come out as more of a growl than a question, but considering how close he was to claiming her right here in the middle of the club, it was the best he could do. He relaxed a bit when he saw her deer in the headlights look. Good. I’m happy to know she is as slammed by the attraction as I am.

  “Kit.”

  He heard the wobble of nervousness in her voice and could tell she had barely been able to squeak out the word so he just waited. He saw her draw in a deep breath through her mouth and almost laughed at her ineffective attempt to avoid breathing through her nose. He tried to suppress his smile when she repeated the gesture because it was a futile attempt to escape the scent of her mate.

  Once a shifter found their mate, their bodies were taken over by overwhelming sexual urges that lasted for weeks. He’d seen pack members all but disappear during that time because they could barely leave their bedrooms. He waited patiently as she finally seemed to come back to awareness and answered, “I mean, Kathleen, my name is Kathleen Harris.”

  She was trying to look around him, which was amusing because she couldn’t be more than five feet three or four inches tall and that was including the ridiculously high-heeled black leather stiletto boots she was wearing.

  He was sure she hadn’t meant to give him her nickname because it was likely something she reserved for those she considered close friends, so when he addressed her again, he used it deliberately. “Well, Kit, follow me, please.”

  He turned on his heel and started back toward the staircase when she reached out and grasped his forearm. “Wait, I can’t go with you. I don’t even know you. And my friend will be looking for me.”

  The instant she touched him he’d felt a jolt of electricity arc between them and then tiny bolts of lightning streaked up his spine. Damn, her touch did that through the fabric of his shirt, what would it feel like when they were skin to skin?

  The twin bond between him and Trev had always been incredibly strong, so he wasn’t at all surprised when his phone rang. “Where are you? Are you okay?” Typical Trevlon, straight to it—he couldn’t be troubled to utter a polite greeting.

  “Standing in front of a woman I want you to meet. We’re in the bar, but we’ll be on our way upstairs as soon as we locate her friend to let her know where we are heading. Meet us in the office in five.” Jameson disconnected the call and turned to one of his staff that was walking by. He quickly gave the man a detailed description of Kit’s friend and instructions to stay close to her and keep her safe until she was ready to leave the building. At that time, he was to accompany her to the office. Jameson stood six foot seven inches tall in his boots, so he could easily see the tiny blonde on the other side dance floor and directed the young man to her. Jameson was glad Charlie had been the first to walk by. He trusted the young shifter to do exactly as he’d been told.

  Turning back to Kit, he realized for the first time he had taken the hand she’d used to grab his arm and was holding it in his own. He’d been rubbing small circles over the inside of her wrist with his thumb. As his gaze met hers, he felt her pulse speed up and watched as her pupils dilated. “Come along, Kit. We need to talk.” This time he did smell fear so he pulled her into his arms and leaned down so his words would be painted over the soft shell of her ear like a warm brush of air, “I won’t hurt you—ever. Be brave, sweet kitten.”

  Chapter Two

  Kit felt like she’d been pushed through some kind of time warp. Suddenly everything had changed and she was now watching her life play out from the outside looking in. Some kind of damn fog seemed to have settled over her brain and she found herself passively following the man who had approached her at the bar like some love-struck fool. He was her mate and that was the last thing she’d been looking for when she left home tonight. He was pulling her through the crowd, heading toward a tall spiral staircase. Oh hell no. I don’t fucking think so.

  She dug in her heels despite the fact she nearly had her arm jerked out of its socket for her trouble. “Excuse me, but I’m not leaving here with you. I don’t even know your name. Hell’s bells and hand grenades…you could be Jack the Ripper’s long lost sixth cousin for all I know.” Damn it to hell. He had just smiled at her, and then turned and started pulling her after him again. “Hey, I said I wasn’t going with you. Is your brain addled or are you simply ignoring me? What is your name anyway? And by what authority did you get that man to agree to take care of Libby? And just exactly what does that entail an
yway?”

  She saw his shoulders shaking. If he was laughing at her, she was going to go bat-shit on him before he made it to his beloved office. When she tried to wrench her hand from his, he simply tightened his grip. As they neared a spiral stairway, she started to panic and her brain seemed finally to click fully back into gear. Damn it, how had this happened? She’d managed to avoid finding her mate all these years only to be blindsided during a simple club-hop. I swear if anyone tells my parents about this, I’ll shred them limb from bony limb.

  When they reached the top of the stairs, she was relieved to find the music was much more muted and the small tables were filled with people engaged in much more intimate behavior than she’d seen downstairs. She also noticed every table had one woman and multiple men. She smelled the distinct scents of other shifters and knew immediately she was seeing mated couples. And she used the term couples loosely, because these were not pairs but ménages and more. Both of her parents were shifters, but Kit hadn’t been raised in a pack, so her knowledge of the workings of their social order was greatly limited. She did know it was common for mated groups to involve more than one male, particularly when the males are siblings. Damn, she didn’t even want one mate, let alone two…or more. Frack!